What’s HOT for Halloween?

By Waverly W. and Nico B.
8 and 9 years old
ManhattanManhattan is getting SPOOKY! There is a chill in the air and trees are getting bare. Soon it will be the most spooktacular of all holidays, HALLOWEEN! We wanted to report on what is hot for Halloween, so we went to our favorite store for getting into the Halloween spirit – Modern State (formerly known as State News) at 112 East 86th Street in Manhattan. Right from when you walk in the door, it’s like you are in a haunted house, there are scary sounds, witches and ghouls and spiders all over the place….and…if you dare…go down the spooky aisle where you will find all kinds of terrifying ghosts and ghouls, such as The Headless Horseman!

Don’t worry, it’s just Halloween and although we were a tiny bit afraid at first (Nico more than Waverly!!) to stand in the spooky aisle for our video, we quickly realized that Modern State is nothing but FUN and has everything you need for Halloween, from costumes for all ages to decorations, and even baking items if you want to bake a terrifying treat! In case you’re too terrified, there are also toy aisles and a whole section for arts and crafts. But let’s get back to Halloween! We met with store manager Nicole McDonald to ask her a few questions, and now we know what’s hot for Halloween!

Should I be Harley Quinn or Supergirl?? (Or a cute witch?)Using The Force

For girl costumes, Harley Quinn is the top costume this year. Sorry, Elsa! I also liked the Shopkins and Descendants costumes. If witches are your thing, they have about a million different kinds – cute witch, mean witch, old witch, which witch is your favorite witch?? For boys, surprise surprise, according to Nicole, every year it’s the same: Marvel Superheroes and Star Wars! We saw a really cool inflatable dinosaur costume also.

What if you’re not really the costume type? Don’t worry, there is a Halloween look for you, too! Nicole suggests capes, wigs, headbands and masks. We saw crowns, makeup, hats, kooky jewelry and even more things so there is really NO excuse not to get into the spooky and fun Halloween spirit. Even your home can be spooktacular and creeptastic! We saw a huge globe with a witch trapped inside, and lots and lots of monstrous mannequins…that come alive (but aren’t!). Or you could just leave a big hand lying around on a table somewhere! Tell your mom you just felt like giving her a hand, lol. We hope you enjoyed kicking off the spooky season of Halloween with us, we are very excited for it to come. See you at Modern State!

NOTE FROM THE MOM: Waverly and I have been going to Modern State every year and we want to thank them for their time and for always making Halloween fun for us, without ever having to leave town. When I started this site I knew I wanted them as one of my first features, because it has everything you could need, for any occasion or holiday, and it is a true local business, which is increasingly hard to find here in the city. Please support this and other local businesses to keep NYC unique! *And just so you know, Modern State currently is having a great special – 20% off all costumes and toys! Check out their website www.modernstate.com or their other location at 1243 Third avenue 71/72 Street. See you there!